


Milk Glass

by nervoussurfer



Category: Original Work, Sky High (2005)
Genre: dont read this if u want genuine Sky High fanfiction, it's just OC nonsense in an AU with my pals, or specifically MY oc nonsense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-10-15 01:56:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10548100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nervoussurfer/pseuds/nervoussurfer
Summary: please i just want to post this i'll make it better tomorrow or something, it is 2 am my crops are dying,3 times vail went to detention and one of those times was SUPER BADwarning for uhh mild violence, unintentional self-harm, memory issues, depiction of a panic attack and feeling trapped





	1. Chapter 1

**FIRST**

From her first week in Sky High, Vail was branded a troublemaker. Which suited her just fine - it was only the truth. And on her very first Friday, little freshman Vail got detention.

"Hey, I didn't know busting that pipe would flood the teacher's lounge!"

"You - you shouldn't be busting pipes anyways, Ms. Munaðarlaus!"

She grumbled and flipped her hair, which at the time was a garish lime-green, and crossed her arms as best she could. It was difficult, given the grip the teacher had on her upper arm. Jokes on them, this was exactly what she'd wanted - to get into the detention room, see if it could be of use to her.

In retrospect, what a foolish motive. Of COURSE it wouldn't go her way.

The moment she crossed the threshold, it felt like a switch clicked in the back of her brain. Or like something being dropped just outside of the box it was supposed to land in.

She must've physically startled, because the teacher hummed inquisitively. "You felt it, huh? Usually people don't. This room neutralizes all powers, so you can't try anything."

Blinking confusedly, Vail just nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her hair change color. Changing back to its natural dull red color, now that her chameleon ability was shut off. Though, she felt like, even more was different than just that.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from speaking, _don't ask don't say it don't ask don't say it don't give yourself away_. This was either normal, which would make her look stupid for asking, or it was strange, in which case it would only bring more questions.

So. She didn't.

She instead, crossed the stark white room and sat placidly, trying not to think.

And when her time was up, she exited quietly, head ducked, and didn't speak for quite a while.

**FOURTH**

Luck comes in threes, they say. But four is a number with deadly superstition attatched to it. Vail was beginning to believe the superstitions.

The trick to not getting detention is to evade capture, at any cost. She didn't particularly enjoy getting detention - it wasn't the punishment, she could deal with that. It was the room itself.

It creeped her out, listen, no room should be or could be that white! Not to mention she had a hard time remembering what even happened in that room. Which was, y'know, not concerning at all.

But, as such, she'd decided the detention room was useless to her. Which made it maddening that she was going AGAIN.

"This is your fault." She hissed angrily to her partner in crime - rather, her current partner for this specific crime - not truly believing it was his fault, merely venting.

The kid, his name was Michael or something, pyrokinetic and a huge blabbermouth. Anyways, the kid shot her a withering glare. Which did nothing to intimidate her, but it pleased her to piss him off. Served him right, the stupid snitch.

"Alright, you two are going to stew in here until you realize the proper way to treat basketball hoops." The teacher huffed, almost tossing them into the room.

Vail rubbed where the teacher had gripped her, scowling. God, it was liable to bruise - granted, the teachers were all supers, but they could stand to rein in that super strength.

She was content to sit quietly, steaming, glaring around the room like it'd etch the memory into her brain finally. But some people just can't keep their mouths shut.

"Huh, so that's what you actually look li-"

"It's not worth it. Stop talking, you're already in detention and there's no need to dig farther."

"Actually, I see it as a great reason. I'm already at the bottom, now." Mike flipped his douchey styled bangs out of his eyes. "Wow! One afternoon with you, and my reputation's destroyed."

"Yeah, you better believe it. It was ruined the second you considered MAYBE speaking to me."

"I knew that. You and your whole, gang, posse, crew, whatever. You're all bad news. Washed up good-for-nothing goin' nowhere future villains. I dunno why they don't EXPEL that one kid--" Mike cut off as Vail slammed her hands down on her desk with a BANG and stood up. She stalked over to him, got right in his face. She watched his pupils shrink. Good.

"Not them. You can talk about me, I don't care, I encourage it. But not them. They don't deserve it. This, right here, is you and me. So cut it out."

Michael looked like a deer in headlights, frazzled and on the edge of hyperventilation, before he took a deep breath and smiled shakily. "You think you're so tough. You can't do anything to me. The room nullifies powers."

"I still got my hands, stupid. And they could tie me up, and not keep me from killing you." She bared her teeth at him. He was screaming already as she grabbed him by the collar.

She only got off one punch on him before the teachers ran in and broke them up.

(And of course, before the day was out, Michael had blown the tale out of proportion - "She almost bit my finger off, I swear it was like she was possessed, she could've torn my trachea out, I could've DIED-" - but didn't spill about her hair.)

**LAST**

Fine, okay, maybe attempting (and succeeding, she'd felt) to break the kid's nose was a bit rash of her. Totally, understood. But the little fish had been whispering about "the rubbery toon creep and his wacko sister", and she'd just seen red. Sue her.

She was still steaming, and being put in the detention room this time more felt like being caged as a dangerous animal. She didn't LIKE it. And she was all alone in here this time, so there was no distraction.

Vail keened as she pressed against the door, a wordless faux-apology. She snuffled and cried, tears blobbing her view of the room into just one big sheet of white.

She didn't bother to sit at the desk. Maybe if she sat near the door, they'd let her out sooner.

The thing about blank walls, is that they're blank. Nothing to look at, nothing to consider. Just you and your thoughts, trapped in a glass of milk.

It felt hot. Like heat rising, someone turning up the thermometer - maybe a tactic to get her to repent. As if she wasn't repenting enough. She whimpered and buried her head in her knees as she felt the flames lick her like sandpaper tongues.

This room was a curse. This room was her bad luck. She could've run before they caught her, ducked into the vents - but they were in mid-air. Where could she go?

Someone was sobbing, deep and full-bodied. She thought it might be her, but she couldn't tell.

This whole plan was stupid, she was never going to find anything. She missed the old days, with her parents in the den -

In the den.

The den. With her parents. She remembered.

Oh, god, she remembered.

Someone grabbed her shoulder, and the contact felt crushing. She pulled away, gasping, unable to handle the touch. They just grabbed her again and pulled her to her feet.

She only realized she'd been screaming when she started talking. "My parents, my parents - where did they go, they were right there and I lost them, I have to go back or they'll die -"

She paused as she caught sight of her nails. There was blood flaking under them. Was it hers?

Stumbling, she was being escorted out. She didn't bother to change her appearance back as she normally did - she couldn't focus on it enough. They were passing people on the way out, couldn't focus enough on them either.

Only for a moment, she could see through it. Ben was there. Passing in the hall, for once being a bystander. He was looking at her. And she couldn't look at him, averting her eyes and biting the inside of her cheek.

All too soon, they were at the nurse's office. Of course that's where they'd go. Had Vail assumed she was being kidnapped? The teacher who had pulled her out hovered, uselessly, as Vail was fussed over.

Her scratches were bandaged before the questions started, but they started all the same. "What happened in there?"

"I don't remember." She lied, before she found it to be true. She... couldn't seem to remember. But she did feel very, very sad.

"Do you really not remember?"

Vail stared, willing herself to not let off any tells. She glanced at the teacher. Something about the nurse made her far easier to trust... which was dangerous. But she was a danger to herself, so it was no different. She jerked her head at the teacher. "Make him leave."

The nurse shooed him off, and only after he left did Vail relax.

"I never remember anything from the detention room. It's like I go in, and then suddenly I'm out, with only white in-between. Like stolen time. I, um, thought it was regular."

"Really?"

Vail nodded.

"Well. We'll, ah. Have to figure something else out for you then, dearest."

Vail was given about 5 lollipops, and stole 3 more. And never entered that room again but once more in her whole life.


	2. PART ONE: Older Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit!! It's Vail's backstory!! this is barely Sky High at all, holy shit, seriously this is 80% original fiction
> 
> warnings: A LOT OF THEM, grooming grooming grooming, all authority figures being shit, children who think they're badass actually being completely helpless, implied dick vandalism, a really fucking uncomfortable car ride, creepy orphanages, detailed description of uncanny valley inhuman person, face grabbing, snakes probably, and villainous plotting
> 
> the only reassurance i can give you is that the second part to this is worse. yay..?

Don't walk too fast. Don't tense your shoulders. Pretend you're just going to lunch, calmly. Sit at the table with loose limbs and panache - MORE panache, there you go.

Vail couldn't stop her relieved sigh as she sat at her regular lunch table, though. As if sitting marked her reaching safety. She'd done it, really and truly escaped punishment. Every time she weaselled her way out of something there was a heart-pounding that accompanied it, which was one part addicting and one part utterly unenjoyable. With nervous eyes, she checked her surroundings.

Everything was in its proper place, if many things had places to be proper in this school. A regular high school lunch room, if not filled with regular high schoolers. A girl over in the north corner was levitating her tray, a boy two tables over was teasing his friend by freezing and unfreezing his food. And there was her own table.

Everyone was here - for once, actually, they were all here. They were laughing about something, some joke Vail hadn't caught the beginning of. Lis was next to Ben was next to L was next to Frog, and so on.

She had just relaxed and opened her mouth to say something, to add to the conversation and smooth over her arrival. When, over the intercom, "Vail Munadarlaus to the principal's office."

With a sigh, she hung her head and stood back up. There goes her Friday. This wasn't too out of the blue, no one's head turned and no conversation stopped. But before she began her walk of shame, she stopped by her protege Ben's seat and whispered in his ear.

"If I'm not back on Monday, look for me."

He sort of, blinked, and gave her a scrutinizing look. If it's not something you're used to, pie-eyed squinting looks a bit strange. But Vail had seen this expression before, and merely gave him an infinitesimal head shake. When coupled with a particular pursing of her lips, it was a 'don't ask right now' type of signal.

She could practically feel his eyes watching her back as she walked out.

* * *

One aspect of Vail's reputation was how readily she jumped to fighting. As if she had no fear, to throw herself into the fray at any moment for a half-joking perceived slight. Which was true enough. But she wouldn't fight if the conclusion was foregone.

The principal's office was a place she knew well. The desk was lacquered and sleek, dark wood. The windows were shaded by dark blue shutters, always half-closed, light spilling out to halo behind the elegant principal's seat. The principal's seat was brown leather, with gold studs framing the high back. The guest chairs, or "hot seats", that she always sat in, were fashioned much the same way - brown leather, gold studs, but with a much deeper seat and much shorter back. It was an effect that made it feel as if the principal loomed over you as you sank down uncomfortably. Just because she knew it was there for effect didn't mean it didn't still work. Vail mused this very thought over as the principal peered over reports at her, making her sink back into the hot seat more.

"So. Magical vandalism, today, is it? You don't know how to quit while you're ahead, do you?"

Vail crossed her legs and sniffed, trying to put on some air of dignity. "Sharks who ain't swimming sink, Madam Powers. I gotta reputation to uphold."

"Uh-huh. Where'd you get the material? This is out of the realm of your powers."

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, I would, Ms. Munadarlaus. This isn't a game - we need to counteract it before the freshmen see. Where. Did you get. The material."

Vail rolled her eyes and huffed. "Stole it off that nerd, er, whats-is-name. Thrall? Iunno. He had no clue."

"And that is the truth?"

"It's sorta like art - I like being properly credited for my work."

Principal Powers sighed and straightened the folder, placing it to the side. If you were to ask Vail, she'd say Powers hated her. But most of the time, the principal just looked rather tired. Vail didn't know how she felt. Maybe, like everyone else, she was just trying, to the best of her ability. Vail was also trying - trying to be a grade-A pest.

"In any case, you're co-operating. It's much more pleasant when I don't have to pull your teeth about things. Now, someone's come calling for you. You are excused from school for the rest of the day to go with them."

Vail nodded and stood from her chair, smoothing down her pants. This had happened a small handful of times before, so she knew the drill. "And that's all?"

Nodding tiredly, the principal waved the to the door, eyes closing as if that would repress any temptation to eye-roll. "That's all. You're dismissed, Ms. Munadarlaus."

As Vail left the room, she thought, right then she could've said something. She could've told, at least for the sake of saying it. The opportunity had been right there, if she had only taken it. She could've, really could've.

But she didn't trust these people to keep her safe.

* * *

The Matron come to pick her up had been Edel, of course. It was always Edel, for no particular reason. Maybe Edel was the one who could drive the best, or something. It certainly wasn't for her people skills.

Edel was a shorter one. Like all of the Matrons, her attire made it difficult to discern any defining features - dark, modest clothing, with a headpiece fashioned after the common coif and card of Catholic nuns. All Matrons had their eyes covered, blindfold fashioned to mesh neatly with the nun-veil they wore. It was designed so that they could see fine out of it, though a tad shaded, but no one could see in to their eyes. Edel's skin was rich and olive, and her lips were thin with a natural, subtle purse. That was all Vail could tell about her, and her personality didn't seem to be much deeper either.

As if noticing Vail staring, Edel's head tilted her way slightly. Vail looked away sharply, pretending she'd been looking out the window. Not her fault there was nothing else to do on this ride but examine the Matron.

Car rides with Edel were always blissfully and unnervingly peaceful. She wouldn't talk, which allowed Vail to stare out the window at the serene scenery passing them by. Edel didn't seem to have much taste for music, either - she never had any on, and didn't complain about whatever Vail turned it to. Though this time, Vail wasn't in the mood for it either, even if she could've used the distraction. Making the trip equal parts boring and nervewracking.

Eventually, as it had to, the ride came to an end, almost without Vail's notice. She was so deep in rumination this morning, she almost thought there was something wrong with herself.

The path they pulled onto to approach the house was a gravel off-shoot of the country road, bumpy and crunchy under the wheels. The house was far and away from the city, off in a field of its own. Heaven's Home of Hopeful Horizons was a three-story building, painted robin's egg blue with white trim. There was a porch, on which was one rocking chair and several pairs of shoes of several sizes. The shoes were the only sign of kids present, on the exterior at least. There were no toys or bikes on the lawn, it was as immaculate as if it didn't house multiple children. The door still creaked as it always had.

Edel wordlessly separated from Vail as they entered the house. Now that she'd delivered Vail, she likely had other matters to attend to. Of course, that meant that another Matron would be dealing with her - with any luck, it'd be anyone but Helene. Though, Vail's never had much luck.

Now, it was time to wait. Nothing much else to do except for pad around until she's caught.

To the side of the foyer was the main staircase, leading up to the children's rooms, the Matron's rooms, and at the very top a locked door. To the other side were the laundry rooms. Straight ahead were the twisting halls leading to the other necessity rooms deeper in the house. Though it was day outside, the halls were dark and hardly lit, windows too sparse to let in natural light.

The whole place was old as sin, inches from being described as "in disrepair".

The floors were wood, deep dark oak and scuffed from ages of children scurrying across back and forth. The walls were half wood, and half furnished, in incomprehensible intervals. The half that was wallpapered was striped in shades of lavender, light wood wainscotting partway up. It all had a look of fragility, as if she ran her hand along the wall it would crumble at her fingertips.

The wooden floors squeaked and groaned as they always had. Sneaking out of this place had been a chore back in the day - luckily, she found no point to trying that currently.

She could see little eyes around the corners. Little feet pattering away from her as she paced, hiding behind corners and ducking into closets. Vail walked almost all the way to the kitchen before she actually managed to run into one of the little twerps.

The kid was sat on a trike, one of those ones with the big front wheel and the bright primary colors. He shifted the lollipop in his mouth to sit on one side, then the other, then the other. He was leaning back low in his seat, brown baby curls sticking up in every direction. He reached a hand up to pop the sucker out of his mouth. "You an old sister?"

Vail blinked, looking to the side as if there was anyone else he could be addressing. There was no one, of course. "I... wouldn't say I'm an old sister. But I am a sister."

"If ya say so... How long's it been since you paid a visit?"

"Not too long, a few months. Maybe 5."

"Aaah, alright. Okay, you ain't an old sister, then, just a regular one. Whatcha name?" Vail started to answer him before a crowing voice called from back down the hall.

"VALLEY!! Where are you, did you not just arrive?!"

She looked behind her, and then looked back, at the kid who was already rearing up to trike away, sucker popped back into his mouth. "Ya better get a move on, sister!" He backed up fluidly and spun away down the hall, wheels whirring on the wood floors.

With a sigh, Vail turned back around to the staircase in the foyer. There was no use putting it off, she was in their house now. Might as well get it over with.

At the top of the stairs, leaning on the rail, stood Matron Helene. The old crone hadn't aged a day - not that it was easy to tell. It did almost seem she was spindlier than before. Her long fingers curled over the banister, almost fully wrapping around. She was tall, only a couple inches on Vail's own height - funny to think, when she was little her height seemed daunting. The Matron leaned drastically, looking down on her. "There you are, you clever little fox! Why did you wander when you knew I would call you? Come, come, up here, let your old Matron see you up close."

The way her mouth moved when she spoke... it was like acrylic paint stretched over a balloon. Her teeth pressed perfectly against her gums, almost leaving impressions against her lips when they were closed.

Vail ascended the stairs up to her, at a leisurely and perhaps reluctant pace. The wood squeaked and shuddered underneath her, old nails lamenting loudly. She was made to stand a step beneath Helene.

The Matron took her cheeks, cradled them, and then turned her head as if examining her. "Oh, hiding your real color, again? What a shame, your God-given hair is so pretty..."

Vail had to supress a snort at that sentiment. The Matrons did not believe in God. "Why did you take me from school?"

Matron Helene released her face, waving dismissive hands. "As if you were absorbing much knowledge there anyways. Follow, follow, there's much to do."

The Matron swept up the stairs, and Vail sighed none too subtly, having no choice but to do as she said.

Helene took her up to the Matrons' accomodations, which were very simple in architecture. One big floor space in the middle, with doors to either side, leading to modest rooms. At the other end end of the wide stout hall that made up the floor, was another stair case, and a single door, leading to Helene's personal room. At the sound of them stepping onto the floor, the Matrons that had been passing by curiously turned their attention. A few that had been tucked into their rooms peeked out their heads. All of a sudden, Vail was surrounded by shrouded women, swept up into their hustle and bustle. Everyone was giving her passing words and comments, that she could barely parse apart in the hubbub.

Stout Clymenhestra told her, "Oh, hello, dear! You're looking well, for your age."

Dark Chloris told her, "You are so close to perfect, dearest, if you would only stop making missteps. You'll get there. You'll get there."

Soft Petrina told her, "Well, you've been so smart! I'm glad our teachings paid off."

Matron Helene shooed them away, making a path in the small crowd to steer Vail down to her quarters. The door snapped shut, closing them off from the swarm. And from any hope of avoiding this.

Helene's quarters were moderately modest. It was clean, organized and orderly. The bed was small, cleanly pressed linen folded without creases. The decorations were plain, with only a single frame hung on the wall, a cross-stitch saying "There's nothing quite as sweet as wrinkled little baby feet" with the closest simulacrum cross-stitch could achieve of baby feet. The dresser was simple, no real carvings, just flat wood, but it did have a mirror inset. Strangely, Vail found herself looking small in that mirror, shoulders unconsciously hunched.

It occurred to Vail she had no idea why Helene had taken her up here. "Why am I here, instead of at my home? You know. My adoptive one, that took me away from you."

"Oh. You don't think - surely not! You don't think that house is your home? This is your home, little fox." Matron Helene let Vail stand there in the middle of the room where she'd left her, like a boat adrift without anchor. She was busying herself with a drawer, rummaging for something in it.

"Stop calling me that, it's not your name to use."

"Why? It's only a word, you have no claim to it, neither do I. Neither did Clare." Helene turnned back to her, hands resting behind her on the drawer. Her lips pursed, as if she pitied Vail. "The Bakers are not your home. Their house is merely an extension of this house. Made of cardboard, painted to look real. But it is fake. They are fake. You know this."

"I know this."

"You will follow the golden rule. Recite it."

"Do as I'm told and don't talk back."

"Good, that's a good little double agent, you're so clever. I hope you're ready to destroy them all from the inside out with us." From out of the drawer, Helene retrieved a necklace. Blue stone, light, more the color of the day sky than the more nightly shade Vail took for her hair. It was wrapped in silver, entwining with the necklace's chain.

Vail furrowed her brow. She was beginning to feel a bit, docile, and slow on the uptake. "What do you mean by that? When have I been a double agent?"

"Oh, so it wasn't on purpose." Helene smiled, but yet again it was less of a smile and more a showing of teeth. "Come, come, over here."

Vail was steered towards that mirror, Helene's long spindly fingers draping over her shoulder. The necklace was looped around her neck, held up to see how it would look on her. Vail had always thought herself pale, but against her own skin, Helene was even more so and thin too, like wax paper.

"Isn't that pretty, look! It looks so nice, it'd look even better with your natural hair..."

Sighing, Vail closed her eyes in a long blink before opening them to look at herself in the mirror. Slowly, her hair shifted and faded back to the dull red she'd been born with. It was easier to just give up.

"It is... so fortuitous you weaselled into that school. And with none of our direction, either. Very good of you. Now... we hope you will know what we ask of you. Since you're our clever fox."

"What?" Vail snapped, a little too irritated. "What will you ask of me? What more could you possibly ask me to do?"

"Listen," Helene hissed, gripping the back of Vail's neck to prevent her from turning it. "WE unlocked your abilities, do not forget. What we give, we can take away! You would be nowhere without us! Look, look in the mirror. Look!"

The Matron gripped her chin as the hissing grew louder, forcing her head to face straight ahead into the mirror. "You've been a dissapointment to our goals all your life, but now you've finally snatched a chance, and you're NOT going to ruin it. The issue is, you just don't channel your energy in the correct way. We will guide you, to bring that school crashing to the ground, in the name of the Matrons." Matron Helene released her chin to reach up to her own face. Vail could see the head covering writhing already.

The Matron pulled back the veil over her eyes, revealing striking orange eyes with slit pupils like a snakes. The hissing in the air was as ominous as if it was from a busted pipe. Vail tried not to look at those eyes in the mirror, focusing on her own face. She could already feel her spine stiffening.

All of the Matrons were gorgons. They were very old and had been running this system for a long time, though under different names and attire as the times changed. If there was something these old snakes hungered for, it was power and subjugation. The Gorgon villain ring was simultaneously infamous and anonymous, nameless connected influences spiderwebbing across the country. If not the globe.

She could feel the smooth coldness of a writhing headsnake bumping into her cheek.

The orphanage was their front, their way to train up new proteges. Vail had caught their attention for quite a while, but had really thought that the adoption had shaken them off. Nothing shakes off a snake, once its got its fangs in your ankle.

"If you do not listen to us, if you disobey," Helene was hissing into her ear, whispering, "The next time you see my eyes will not be through a mirror, and you will join the statues in the garden. Do you understand?"

Vail's vocal chords were most likely not frozen from the gorgon's gaze, but they weren't functioning all the same. So she simply nodded.

"Good!" The Matron released her, adjusting her headcoverings again. Soon, she looked like an unassuming, blindfolded nun again. "Now, run on downstairs, get some rest. You'll be with us for the weekend, like last time. Don't worry about finding a place, your old bed has been... opened. And don't be late for supper!"

Vail was finally able to turn away from that reflection in the mirror, how she looked with her natural hair. She tried to not hurry out of there too fast, not wanting to raise any more of Helene's ire. As she left, it was as if she had on horse blinders, as if she was walking through an empty tunnel, for all she percieved of everything else. She couldn't say if the other Matrons tried to speak to her as she left - if they even noticed at all. All she knew is that she walked directly to the bedrooms, the way she'd memorized it, and flopped down on her bed. Her bed, the one she'd slept on most out of any one bed in her life. It didn't smell like her anymore - she'd have to fix that, curling up in the covers and snuggling in.

She ended up missing dinner.

It was going to be a long weekend.


End file.
